The use of geometric morphometrics in understanding shape variability of sclerotized haptoral structures of monogeneans (Platyhelminthes) with insights into biogeographic variability

Parasitology International
Matthias Vignon, Pierre Sasal

Abstract

The sclerotized attachment organ of monogeneans has been widely used to address fundamental questions in ecology and evolution. However, traditional morphometric techniques appear to be partially inadequate and non-optimal. Traditional linear measurements mainly provide information on the size of sclerites but provide very little information, if any, on their shape. The shape of sclerites is indeed virtually unexplored and its implication for ecological and evolutionary processes remains to be analyzed. This study aims to both introduce and illustrate the use of geometric morphometrics in order to study sclerites of monogeneans in a biogeographic context. To do this, we investigated morphological variation patterns among four populations from the Pacific Ocean and six monogenean species through traditional and geometric morphometric techniques. Unlike the traditional method, the geometric morphometric method yielded a high percentage of individuals correctly classified to the four populations, providing strong evidence for phenotypic variability, divergence and local adaptation among islands without evolutionary constraint. Moreover, the traditional method also resulted in inconsistent interpretations of shape variations. This ...Continue Reading

References

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Apr 1, 1993·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·F James Rohlf, L F Marcus

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Citations

Jun 30, 2012·Parasitology International·Isabel Blasco-CostaJuan Antonio Balbuena
Nov 11, 2019·BMC Evolutionary Biology·Charles BaillieRobin M D Beck
Mar 7, 2017·Journal of Helminthology·G Pérez-Ponce de León, R Poulin

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